Erik is the middle name of four-star General Michael Erik Kurilla, the departing commander of US Central Command. While subordinates address him as "General," colleagues privately call him "the Gorilla" – a nickname earned through his imposing physical presence and four decades of combat experience. Only his closest friends dare use "Erik."

Three days following that crucial conversation, Kurilla arrived in Tel Aviv and participated in the Chiefs of Staff Forum meeting at the Kirya, where organizers positioned a chair for him at the head table beside Halevi. Together, these two generals orchestrated the brilliant international defense operation that almost entirely neutralized what history would record as "Iran's first missile night." Outside observers noted that the IDF appeared to have two chiefs of staff – an assessment that proved remarkably accurate.

Israel anchored at umbrella's center

That operation allowed Kurilla and Israel to harvest the benefits of extensive military and political groundwork, with Kurilla serving as the central coordinator. Through unwavering determination and exceptional interpersonal abilities, this American general successfully mobilized chiefs of staff across Middle Eastern nations to construct cooperative frameworks that generated regional power beneath an American protective umbrella. He consistently positioned Israel at this umbrella's center, directly alongside him, insisting that Israeli representatives attend every meeting and participate in all briefings.

The historical record of the October 7 war will reserve a distinguished place for 59-year-old General Kurilla. Born in California, raised in Minnesota, and graduated from West Point military academy in 1988, he served in Iraq, Kosovo and Afghanistan before suffering wounds in a bombing during the Battle of Mosul. His appointment as CENTCOM commander came in April 2022, arriving just before the war's outbreak with perfect timing.

The battle-hardened Kurilla and Halevi developed an unusually close friendship, sustained through dozens of American general visits to Israel, predominantly during wartime. This personal bond between the generals translated into exceptional operational coordination, demonstrated during the first and second missile nights, the audacious "Many Ways" operation targeting the SSRC chemical facility in Syria, and notably the Israeli strike against Iran. This represents merely a partial accounting.

However, Kurilla's wartime role extended beyond military functions to encompass diplomatic advocacy for Israel. As someone answering directly to the president according to American governmental structure, Kurilla understood how to influence President Joe Biden whenever Israel required assistance. Consequently, Kurilla emerged as the pivotal figure who moderated the Biden administration's resistance to operations in Rafah and the Lebanon campaign – two critical war milestones. Where Israel's political leadership and the American administration struggled to coordinate, Kurilla provided the essential bridge. Without his intervention, Israel's strategic position would appear entirely different.

Honoring family commitments

Halevi bequeathed this intimate relationship framework with Kurilla to his successor, Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir. Reasonable assumptions suggest that Zamir also leveraged his connections with the CENTCOM commander during the persuasion campaign that encouraged President Donald Trump to authorize bombing of Iranian nuclear installations on the operation's final day. This historic achievement represented the culmination of Kurilla's CENTCOM leadership.

Monday will witness Kurilla's farewell ceremony in the United States, marking his military retirement and transition to quality time with wife Paige and their two daughters. IDF Chief of Staff Zamir had coordinated his American work visit to coincide with this event but was compelled to cancel plans after recognizing in recent days that the hostage release and ceasefire agreement had definitively collapsed, requiring his presence in Israel.

Kurilla's replacement will be his deputy, Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, representing the Navy. Cooper inherits a perfectly functioning regional cooperation mechanism within CENTCOM. Cooper brings extensive Israeli visitation experience and has been responsible for strengthening and expanding maritime collaboration between CENTCOM and the IDF. While the diplomatic Cooper lacks "gorilla" qualities, hopes remain that he will adequately fill his predecessor's role, particularly concerning special IDF relationships. This represents a paramount security interest, making Cooper relationship cultivation a primary objective for Zamir.

Connecting at the eye level

Certainly, Kurilla's commitment to supporting Israel during the war served CENTCOM interests in confronting Iran and its regional proxies while establishing American dominance throughout the Middle East. Ultimately, he remains an American general, not an IDF officer.

Nevertheless, Kurilla's inexhaustible dedication to preserving Israeli security stemmed equally from personal connections established with senior IDF leadership and emotions stirred during his numerous visits. The Tel Aviv hotel where he regularly stayed had recently housed evacuees from Kiryat Shmona. Kurilla made it his practice to sit with them, inquire about their welfare and offer encouragement. Throughout his Israeli tours, he visited dozens of IDF units, not merely to understand their capabilities, but to engage officers and soldiers at eye level. "He genuinely cared," observed someone who accompanied him during several visits.

Definitive evidence of his Israeli connection emerged on Friday during his position's farewell tour when Kurilla arrived in the country for his fortieth visit. For the first time, he visited the Western Wall, appearing in civilian clothing and sunglasses, standing head and shoulders above Western Wall Rabbi Shmuel Rabinovich who welcomed him, appearing entirely comfortable. "My mother always told me that for my support of Israel – God will repay me," he said.

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The plan is part of a broader US campaign to get NATO allies to take on more responsibility for security in the Gulf, including pleas for nations to send ships, aircraft, and air defense systems to the region.

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The US has already agreed to send three Patriot missile batteries, dozens of fighter jets and other aircraft to Saudi Arabia. And as Esper got a look at one of the Patriot batteries Tuesday at Prince Sultan Air Base, he said Saudi Arabia will "help underwrite" some US costs for the additional aid, which includes about 3,000 American troops.

Standing in front of the battery in the scorching Saudi desert, Esper told reporters traveling with him that he's already had some conversations with counterparts from France, Britain, and Germany. "One of my objectives going into Brussels later this week is to build on those conversations," he said.

The US has dispatched about 14,000 more troops into the region since May, beefing up efforts to defend the kingdom in the wake of suspected Iranian missile and drone attacks on oil facilities last month. That's despite President Donald Trump's stated goal of pulling troops out of the Middle East and halting American participation in "endless wars."

The Sept. 14 attack on the Saudi oil facilities, as well as earlier ones on a pipeline in the kingdom and ships in the Gulf, stem from Trump's decision to unilaterally withdraw America from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers and impose crushing sanctions targeting Iran's crude oil sales and shipments.

Allies, however, have been slow to respond to requests to participate in a maritime security effort that is aimed at countering Iranian attacks on tankers and other ships in the region.

Saudi leaders hosted a one-day meeting of defense chiefs from the Gulf region and across Europe this week and used that platform to seek help securing their country.

Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, the top US military commander for the Middle East was at the meeting. Just after Esper landed Monday in Riyadh, McKenzie boarded the plane, and the two men talked for roughly a half-hour. Officials did not divulge the content of the meeting, but at least part of it was expected to be a discussion of how to meet Saudi's security requests.

McKenzie likely also gave Esper an update on the US troop withdrawal from Syria and ongoing plans to keep some forces in Iraq, at least temporarily.

Esper's visit to the Saudi airbase on Tuesday was his first chance to see the US troops and missile defense systems deployed there. He said the Saudi agreement to help pay some costs of the operation is not unusual. He said he did not know the amount they would contribute.

Asked if taking money for the deployment makes the US a mercenary force, Esper said no because the US is not doing it for the money, but to deter Iran.

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Iran's Minister of Defense Amir Hatami was quoted by state news agency IRNA as saying that Tehran had the military capabilities to confront any Israeli intervention, and said the international community would also not accept such action.

Hatami said such confrontation would be considered "piracy" and warned that "if it happens, we will firmly respond."

"The Iranian armed forces certainly have the capabilities to protect the country's shipping lines in the best way against any possible threat," Hatami said.

According to maritime experts, Iran has used a variety of measures to evade sanctions, including changing the names of ships or flag registries, switching off location transponders on ships and conducting ship-to-ship transfers offshore and away from large trade hubs.

Iran's navy has extended its reach in recent years, dispatching vessels to the Indian Ocean and the Gulf of Aden. They intervened on Friday to repel pirates who attacked an Iranian oil tanker in the Gulf of Aden.

The Israeli navy, whose largest vessels are missile corvettes and a small submarine fleet, is mostly active in the Mediterranean and Red seas.

Iran has one of the world's biggest tanker fleets in the world.

In November, U.S. Special Representative for Iran Brian Hook called Iranian vessels a "floating liability," saying the U.S. sanctions would bar them from international insurance markets, making them a risk for ports and canals which allow them access.

Iranian officials have threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, a major oil shipping route in the Gulf, if the United States attempts to stop the Islamic republic's oil exports.

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"The United States does not have the courage to fire a single bullet at us despite all its defensive and military assets. But if they attack us, we will raze Tel Aviv and Haifa to the ground," Yadollah Javani, the Iranian Revolutionary Guards' deputy head for political affairs, told the state-run Islamic Republic News Agency.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed the threat in a statement, Monday.

"I do not ignore the threats of the Iranian regime but neither am I intimidated by them," he said.

"If this regime makes the awful mistake of trying to destroy Tel Aviv and Haifa, it will not succeed. However, this would be the last anniversary of the revolution that they celebrate. They should take this into account."

Hundreds of thousands of Iranians marched and some burned U.S. flags to mark the revolution's 40th anniversary on Monday, as Tehran showed off ballistic missiles in defiance of U.S. efforts to curb its military power.

Soldiers, students, clerics and black-clad women holding small children thronged streets across Iran, many with portraits of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the Shiite cleric who led an Islamic uprising that toppled the Shah.

State television showed crowds carrying Iranian flags, shouting, "Death to Israel, Death to America" – trademark chants of the revolution.

The Islamic republic has vowed to increase its military strength despite mounting pressure from Western countries to curtail its ballistic missile program.

Those capabilities were on display during the march, including the Qadr F, a ground-to-ground missile with a 1,950-kilometer (1,210-mile) range, Tasnim news agency said.

"We have not asked and will not ask for permission to develop different types of … missiles and will continue our path and our military power," President Hassan Rouhani said in a speech at Tehran's Azadi Square.

Today, the United States, its Arab allies and Israel are trying to counter Tehran's growing influence in the Middle East, where it has proxies in Syria, Lebanon and Yemen.

U.S. President Donald Trump tweeted on Monday that the Iranian government had let its people down.

"Forty years of corruption. Forty years of repression. Forty years of terror. The regime in Iran has produced only #40YearsofFailure. The long-suffering Iranian people deserve a much brighter future," he posted in both English and Farsi.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif also responded on Twitter. "#40YearsofFailure to accept that Iranians will never return to submission. #40YearsofFailure to adjust US policy to reality. #40YearsofFailure to destabilize Iran through blood & treasure. After forty years of wrong choices, time for @realDonaldTrump to rethink failed US policy," he wrote.

Iranians face mounting economic hardships many blame on the country's clerical leaders, and pictures on social media showed some people also demonstrating against corruption, unemployment and high prices.

"Our presence in the 40th anniversary of the revolution is to show our support for the Islamic republic," said one sign held by a protester. "But it does not mean we support corruption of some officials and their betrayal of the oppressed people."

Reuters could not independently verify the pictures.

Last year, Iran cracked down on protests over poor living standards that posed the most serious challenge to its clerical elite since a 2009 uprising over disputed elections.

Prices of basic foodstuffs have soared since Trump withdrew Washington from the 2015 nuclear deal with Iran last year and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

In January, Rouhani said Iran was dealing with its worst economic crisis since the Shah was toppled.

But he remained defiant on Monday as Iranians recalled the end of a monarch who catered to the rich. "The Iranian people have and will have some economic difficulties, but we will overcome the problems by helping each other," he said.

Iran also has vast clout in Iraq, where Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, commander of the Quds Force, the overseas arm of the Revolutionary Guards, was frequently photographed guiding Shiite militias in the war against Sunni Islamic State terrorists.

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